How can technology improve teacher professional development?

Our Mission

Our mission is to drive significant gains in student success by improving instructional effectiveness. We do this by harnessing the power of video, actionable data and expert coaching to promote high quality growth opportunities for educators, accessible at anytime and from anywhere.

Our founders, employees, and advisors are a group of educators and technologists who are passionate about education and the hope it holds for changing the world. We’re also huge believers in technology and its power to truly improve educational outcomes. Join us on our journey as we develop technology enabled solutions that help bring our education system into the 21st century.

Our Team

Courtney Williams

CEO

Courtney is a seasoned executive with a passion for education reform. As an immigrant, he is intimately familiar with how a good education can change the trajectory of an individual’s life. Courtney founded Torsh after more than 15 years of experience in the technology industry where he held senior executive roles at companies like AOL,Time Warner and Interactive One...

David Sykora

Director of Engineering

David is Torsh’s Director of Engineering and Lead Software Engineer. He is an enthusiastic electrical and software engineer, and spent two years teaching in Africa with the Peace Corps before joining...

Daniel DeKerlegand

Software Developer

Daniel DeKerlegand is Torsh's software development intern. He is currently a post-baccalaureate student at the University of New Orleans and has experience in full-stack development...

Shaun Herron

Director of UX

Shaun Herron is Torsh’s Director of UX. Before arriving in NOLA, he worked in Seattle’s software industry as a Director of Digital Experiences at such brands as Google, Microsoft...

Kevin Pié

Junior Software Developer

Kevin Pié is a junior software developer at Torsh. Working with nonprofits sparked his passion for harnessing his knowledge and skills into positive change in the world around him...

Elise Zavadak

Director, Account Services

Elise Zavadak is the Manager of Account Services at Torsh. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Elise moved to New Orleans as a 2013 Teach for America Corps Member.

Staacy Cannon

Senior Director, Growth & Marketing

Staacy Cannon joins Torsh as the Senior Director of Growth and Marketing with over 18 years of experience in marketing products...

Erin Murphy

Manager, Account Services

Erin Murphy is a Manager, Account Services at Torsh. Originally from New York, Erin moved to Baton Rouge to join the 2013 Teach for America Corps.

Latrina Woods

Manager, Business Development

Latrina is a Business Development Manager at Torsh. Latrina brings experience as an educator and sales and marketing experience for a fortune 500 company.

Jamal Brown

Manager, Human Resources and Finance

Jamal Brown is the Human Resources and Finance Manager for Torsh. Born and raised in New Orleans, Jamal earned a B.S. in Marketing from Loyola University...

Chelsi Burnett

Manager, Sales Support and Data Analysis

Chelsi Burnett is the Manager of Sales Support and Data Analysis at Torsh. She is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana...

Jamie Shear

Manager, Special Projects

Jamie Shear is the Manager of Special Projects at Torsh. Jamie recently graduated from Tulane University, where she studied Marketing and Social Entrepreneurship. hort version of bio for team page...

Courtney Williams

CEO

Courtney is a seasoned executive with a passion for education reform. As an immigrant, he is intimately familiar with how a good education can change the trajectory of an individual’s life. Courtney founded Torsh after more than 15 years of experience in the technology industry where he held senior executive roles at companies like AOL,Time Warner and Interactive One. He is an active member of his community, serving as a Big Brother and a former board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters. He is a Board Member of the Johns Hopkins School of Education National Advisory Council and a 2010 CUP Fellow, a fellowship awarded to executives with a strong interest in social change through public service. Courtney is a graduate of Columbia Law School and Oberlin College.

David Sykora

Director of Engineering

David is Torsh’s Director of Engineering and Lead Software Engineer. He is an enthusiastic electrical and software engineer, and spent two years teaching in Africa with the Peace Corps before joining Torsh. He returns to the tech field passionate about education and helping teachers. David has a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of California Davis.

Daniel DeKerlegand

Software Developer

Daniel DeKerlegand is Torsh's Software developer. He is currently a post-baccalaureate student at the University of New Orleans and has experience in full-stack development. Before interning at Torsh, he worked as an instructor and tutor at various Louisiana colleges. As a teacher and student himself, he is dedicated to bettering the lives and careers of other teachers and students. He holds a B.A. in English from UNO and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona.

Shaun Herron

Director of UX

Shaun Herron is Torsh’s Director of UX. Before arriving in NOLA, he worked in Seattle’s software industry as a Director of Digital Experiences at such brands as Google, Microsoft, Starbucks, and CBS. He’s passionate about all things design and believes you have to understand user's needs in order to build awesome products, services, and experiences.

Kevin Pié

Junior Software Developer

Kevin Pié is a junior software developer at Torsh. Working with nonprofits sparked his passion for harnessing his knowledge and skills into positive change in the world around him. Kevin understands the need for moving the education system forward through the power of technology and is excited to be a part of the advancement. Before joining Torsh, he completed a web development immersive with General Assembly in Boston.

Elise Zavadak

Director, Account Services

Elise Zavadak is the Director of Account Services at Torsh. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Elise moved to New Orleans as a 2013 Teach for America Corps Member. She was a high school teacher and data manager in a public charter network prior to joining the team at Torsh. With her experience in education and interest in technology, she is excited to join a team who is changing the ed tech world as it currently exists, empowering educators to use data to improve their own practice. Elise holds a B.S. in Biochemistry from Chatham University.

Staacy Cannon

Senior Director, Growth & Marketing

Staacy Cannon joins Torsh as the Senior Director of Growth and Marketing with over 18 years of experience in marketing products and growing companies. Before joining Torsh, she was the founder and CEO of a MarTech company where she patented a system to measure offline advertisements with computer vision. Staacy actively supports the growing technology community in New Orleans and was awarded the Ada Lovelace Woman of the Year Award for exemplifying the technical foresight and intuition that characterized all of Ada Lovelace’s endeavors. She is passionate about growth and believes that education is the catalyst for sustainable transformation.

Erin Murphy

Manager, Account Services

Erin Murphy is a Manager, Account Services at Torsh. Originally from New York, Erin moved to Baton Rouge to join the 2013 Teach for America Corps. During her time in Baton Rouge, Erin served as a 6th-8th Grade ESS Social Studies and Science Teacher and as the Parental Involvement Coordinator at Capitol Middle School. Following Teach for America, Erin moved to New Orleans and spent three and a half years as an Operations Manager at NOCCI where she managed logistics and brand marketing for large scale special events, festivals, and fundraisers. Erin is excited to bring her experience to the Torsh team and looks forward to working alongside people who are passionate about making an impact in education through technology. Erin holds a B.A. in Communications from Pennsylvania State University.

Latrina Woods

Manager, Business Development

Latrina is a Business Development Manager at Torsh. Latrina brings experience as an educator and sales and marketing experience for a fortune 500 company. Latrina is excited to bring her unique expertise in sales and education to provide her customers with a consultative approach to understanding their organizational needs. Most recently, she taught in New Orleans Charter schools and during the summer served as an instructional coach to TFA Corps members. As Seattle native, she graduated from Evergreen State College in Olympia Washington.

Jamal Brown

Manager, Human Resources and Finance

Jamal Brown is the Human Resources and Finance Manager for Torsh. Born and raised in New Orleans, Jamal earned a B.S. in Marketing from Loyola University, New Orleans and a graduate degree in business administration from Tulane University. Before joining Torsh, Jamal was the Director of Operations for NexusCity, a non-profit organization dedicated to developing a diversity group of leaders for the city of New Orleans. He previously worked for Liberty Bank and Trust Company in its Community Development Division and was the New Orleans City Director for the Black Alliance for Educational Options. Jamal has also sat on several boards in New Orleans including, UJAAMA CDC, Teaching Responsible Earth Education, 100 Black Men of Metro New Orleans, and The New Orleans Multicultural Tourism Network.

Chelsi Burnett

Manager, Sales Support and Data Analysis

Chelsi Burnett is the Manager of Sales Support and Data Analysis at Torsh. She is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and holds a B.S in Business Management from Southern University and A&M College. After pursuing her degree, Chelsi served as the information management coordinator for Independent Living Inc. She supported the organization in its mission to create and increase opportunities for persons with disabilities to contribute to their communities and foster relationships. She provided mentorship and insight to team members in the area of building connections through the use of technology.

Following her work at ILI Chelsi combined her interest in empowering others and focused on supporting personal wellness at FITT health and wellness facility. While at FITT, Chelsi functioned as a vital part of the collaborative team developing customized strategies to educate and guide customers to achieve their desired health and fitness goals.

Chelsi is excited to join the Torch Team and to share her passion for making a difference in the lives of others through education and technology.

Jamie Shear

Manager, Special Projects

Jamie Shear is the Manager of Special Projects at Torsh. Jamie recently graduated from Tulane University, where she studied Marketing and Social Entrepreneurship. She is part of the Venture for America fellowship program, which promotes economic development in emerging cities through entrepreneurship. Jamie is passionate about innovative problem solving and is excited to be part of a company that is working to improve education through technology.